Dune du Pilat

The Dune du Pilat is the tallest sand dune in Europe, a vast, slowly migrating wave of pale sand rising over a hundred metres from the Atlantic shore near Arcachon, wedged between a great pine forest on one side and the ocean and its sandbanks on the other. Climbing it for the sweeping view over bay, forest and sea is a highlight of the south-west coast.

History

The site of the dune once held temporary camps of late prehistoric people who made salt from sea water, and the first archaeological finds were made in 1922. On 31 December 2013 a visitor found an Iron Age funeral urn and a smaller vase of about 800 BC in the sand at the foot of the dune, and in October 2014 a team of about ten amateur archaeologists spent two weeks excavating to establish the context of the finds (Wikipedia, Dune of Pilat).

Highlights

• The great dune - the vast pale sand dune, the tallest in Europe, to climb.
• The view - the sweep over the Atlantic, the sandbanks and the pine forest.
• The forest and ocean - the contrast of dark pines and open sea on each side.
• Paragliding - the gliders that launch from the dune's crest.

When to go

Late spring to early autumn for the beach and the climb; sunset from the crest is spectacular. Summer is busy and the sand fiercely hot at midday.

Things to know

Climbing the soft sand is harder than it looks, though a seasonal staircase helps in summer. It is very popular, so it is busy and parking fills in season. The sand gets scorching in the midday summer heat.

Nearby

Arcachon and its oyster beds are nearby; the Bordeaux wine country lies inland.

Key facts